Card Number 133, Miss Barlow, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Here we have card number 133 from the "Actors and Actresses" series produced by Duke Sons & Co. in the 1880s. It was an advertising piece to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes, and it features Miss Barlow. Editor: The sepia tone gives it a nostalgic feel, like peering into a bygone era. There is an intriguing juxtaposition of the slightly faded image and the quite suggestive pose, especially for its time. Curator: Exactly! The series sheds light on the cult of celebrity at the time. These cards, inserted into cigarette packs, brought images of popular stage performers to a wider public, essentially democratizing access to fame and contributing to the rise of consumer culture. Editor: The symbol of the actress… It is interesting that even through a photograph advertising tobacco, her positioning and presentation connect with very old tropes of female sensuality and power that you would find represented in paintings through centuries. Curator: Absolutely. And think about the social dynamics: smoking, then more prevalent amongst men, equates consuming the image of Miss Barlow. This raises questions of commodification of beauty and the male gaze within a burgeoning consumer market. The card, with the inscription ‘Cross Cut Cigarettes’ at the bottom, almost invites ownership over her image. Editor: Her dress, or lack of, together with that suggestive look towards us and feather hat all conform to that established imagery, of performers and sensuality. How fascinating it must have been at the time for someone holding such a small card of someone who perhaps they had only seen from afar on a stage. Curator: What's particularly interesting is the performative aspect both of Miss Barlow’s profession, but of this commercial image. How are these manufactured ideas shaping the public imagination of women, performance, and celebrity culture in this rapidly evolving society? Editor: It’s a microcosm of burgeoning media and consumerism—image, desire, and accessibility intertwined with tobacco, promising allure and intrigue at every purchase. Curator: Precisely! It reveals how imagery of women evolved within consumerism and contributed to both social mobility and entrenched hierarchies, and Miss Barlow is, quite literally, caught in the cross-cut of those influences. Editor: A truly layered image, and such an intimate object considering how it made its way into the world.